


Doing your Best and Trusting Love

by Host_of_Heaven



Category: RWBY
Genre: Because Canon Compliance is Often Disappointing, F/F, Minor Bumbleby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-22 09:36:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22147372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Host_of_Heaven/pseuds/Host_of_Heaven
Summary: The journey was never going to be easy, but they never expected it to be this hard, or this complicated. They're just doing their best to do what's right, while keeping the trust in each other.Additional/Alternative material for various chapters in Volume 7, but with more of a White Rose twist. Canon compliance is often disappointing, so these scenes will lean more into romance.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 19
Kudos: 175





	1. Prologue: En route to Atlas

Weiss sat alone against the cool hull of the airship. She closed her eyes and allowed a moment of true reprieve for what felt like the first time that day. 

The lighting from the cockpit was sparse, and all the metal did little to help mitigate the bite of the elements. Overall, the atmosphere reminded her somewhat of Atlas proper. Cold. Dark. Manufactured, in more ways than one. Rather fitting, in a way, for the next leg of their obscure war. 

This sense of dreary calm was suddenly perturbed when a body inserted itself into her personal space. Despite the suddenness of the presence, the boreal chill somehow seemed the less austere for it. Only one soul among them could have had such an effect recently, even under the most pressing of times. 

Ruby sat down next to Weiss, their shoulders touching, and their breaths audible in the relative silence. The airship did little for keeping warmth, but it did go some way to keeping the wind's whistle at bay. 

They were quiet at first, and just took everything in. Blake and Yang were no longer in the conscious realm. They'd drifted off, once again at peace. JNPR wasn't faring much better, lounging about in a pile of body parts, like they'd been a family for years already. The silence was only cut by the occasional curt whispers coming from the pilots' seats, probably Maria's rambling. 

Ruby leaned her head against the hull, and craned her neck to face her partner. Their conversation too was kept barely above the level of a whisper. 

"Are you OK?"

There it was again - that question. Ok? Maybe not. Maybe Atlas was the last place in all of Remnant she'd want to be, but she couldn't say that again. The prospect of being back in the Schnee Manor terrified her, and the future more broadly terrified her. But she'd survive. That would have to suffice. 

"I'm... OK," she said weakly. Weakly enough, in fact, that she knew Ruby wouldn't buy it. "Or, at least, I will be."

She'd expected more silence, expected Ruby to leave them with an awkward, open ending. She was surprised when a sympathetic warmth took her hand and gave it a squeeze. 

"Talk to me, Weiss."

But Weiss wasn't sure what to say. She didn't know what to do in their situation, how they'd fare in the Atlesian airspace, and didn't know where this part of the journey would end. What could she say?

"Ruby," she said with a huff, "I really didn't want to come back to Atlas." She looked out the small window, at clustered, individual stars in the skies over Solitas. "I hate the place."

She didn't look back, but kept her gaze trained on the open sky. "I know we have to be here. And, I trust that you'll do your best to reassure me. But I can't help but feel…afraid. Of what will happen when we get to Atlas, of what Ironwood will say, of whether or not I'll find Winter, and of what will ultimately become of all of us."

For her part, Ruby didn't interject. She turned her own gaze to the wall, without a word. After a solid minute, Weiss began to wonder if maybe she'd been laying out her grievances a bit thick. 

"You know, " she eventually said, "it's OK to feel that way. Considering your position, I think I'd be more worried if you didn't."

A few more seconds went by, while they both contemplated their feelings. 

“And, I'm terrified sometimes too."

Weiss turned to see her face. 

"I don't know if it's been obvious or not, but I'm afraid sometimes, Weiss. This whole war is terrifying."

It was obvious, if nothing else, that Ruby was being open about her fears. She'd only rarely used that tone - that heavy, emotional whine that instilled a protective instinct in Weiss’s heart. 

"When I found out I was being hunted for something I had no control over, it was scary. It made me feel so vulnerable. And then, around every corner, as we learned more and more about the truth, we could never be sure if our next discovery would be something good, or if it would be something even more horrible. 

Ruby's features retained a semblance of comfort and curiosity, but there was no masking the apprehension. She was still their competent leader, but even she wasn’t fearless in all of this. "So, believe me, you're not alone in that either."

Somewhere in her mind, Weiss did find it a bit helpful to be able talk with Ruby. "I just-" she shifted her position to face her more directly "-get tired, more recently than ever, of all of the unknowns."

She subconsciously tightened their handhold. "All my life I've been treated like a tool, and kept in the dark. And now, it feels like my life is coming around in a circle. There's so much we don't know, and so much being kept from us. I get tired of it all."

Ruby's response was quick – she huffed again, wistfully. 

'Weiss," she started, "I understand. Probably better than most people, I _understand_ wanting to _know_ \- wanting some sort of answer to our longest-held questions, for any amount of closure." She stared now, at something Weiss couldn't see, as if there were a hidden layer beneath the bite of the tundra.

"I've probably asked myself more times than I can count, if my life as a huntress would have a happy ending. Or, if I'll... just go missing someday."

The mood between them was now saturated with a sort of uncertainty. For all her vocal talent, Weiss had never been particularly knowledgeable about raising spirits in situations such as this. So, she relied on her limited experience to speak from the heart.

"Ruby, I don't know if any of us will get our happy endings." She cupped the side of her partner's face, and brought their eyes to level. "But, if there is a happy ending, if there is a light at the end of this war,-" her eyes looked down to Ruby's lips before returning to meet her eyes once more "-then I think I'd like to have you in it."

Ruby flashed that familiar comforting smile, accompanied by a resounding hum. Their hands joined, Ruby rested her head on Weiss's shoulder, and they resigned to wait out the rest of the flight in relative peace. 

Even before the fall, Weiss didn't put much stock in happy endings. There was more or less a plan for her life - she'd become a huntress, eventually take over the SDC, and spend the rest of her life leading the company to an image in which her grandfather could take pride. Maybe that was still a possibility. Or, maybe, it was lost to her. Maybe the SDC would end sooner than later, and it's legacy would be unsalvageable from the poison of her father's touch. To Weiss, it would be a great loss. 

Then she thought of the girl on her shoulder, her partner, and the rest of her family of a team. Whatever the future had in store, she was glad to have her best friend, and her family there for it. 

Later, when they saw the Atlesian fleet in aggressive formation, Weiss took Ruby's hand almost instinctually. She wasn't alone. They were in it together.


	2. Chapter 1: Familiarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atlas is simultaneously familiar and strange.

This was certainly…something. Wholesome, and on some level a cause for awe. Penny Polendina, alive. Alive, and as enthusiastic as ever, if not more so.

Weiss rolled her eyes and sheathed her weapon along with the rest of the crew. Who could have imagined this reunion? Penny had been so excited to embrace her old friend after all the months, she full-on tackled her while holding nothing back. She propelled herself forward, and the two crashed to the ground with hearty thuds. As she approached their downed leader, Weiss couldn’t help but let out the beginning of a chuckle at the scene. Encounters such as these brought about a strong sense of déjà vu.

She was reminded of every ill-advised tackle of which she’d had the pleasure of being on the receiving end. For sure, it had been a nuisance at first, having her personal space violated in such a forward manner. But she did come to discreetly enjoy it. It was so _Ruby._ The memories from Beacon were a mixed bag of emotions now, but Weiss liked to think she’d hold on to the more innocent escapades for some time, mostly to remember the energy Ruby always gave off.

In the present, it seemed the time for such energies was fleeting, with the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Even before The Fall, it had been some weeks since Ruby had last embraced her with such force. The Vital Festival and its grandeur had given them plenty of distraction. Put on a good show, and prove yourself in battle. The victory, the glory, the pride – none of it meant much now. Thinking back, she wished they could have done more. For the most part, the development of her relationships had been cast to the wayside, in favor of gaining an upper hand. There were so many instances, early on, in which she’d scoffed at strangers and rivals in silence for their apparent mismanagement of time, favoring study or practice. Even in the heat of the festival itself, relationship bonding had been more of a side-objective than anything. In all of it, how much time had been wasted? How many opportunities squandered? And what had it gotten her, in the short term? An empty, childish fascination with a guy who flirted with absolutely anything with a pulse, tossed to the wind over a course of hours.

All of it was why, at the least, she’d try to savor what she had now. Her relationship with Ruby – while she wasn’t sure exactly what to call it, she was certainly going to appreciate the moments together.

On the ground, Ruby’s eyes might as well have been rolling over, rattled by the high-speed collision. Weiss shook herself out of the reverie and extended her hand with a playful smile. “Well, at least now _you_ know how it feels.”

“Ugh,” Ruby grunted. “There’s a difference!” She took the firm hand and began to regain her bearings. “My tackles were always full of love! And, -” she compressed a dull pain in her shoulder “- I’m not made of metal alloy.”

Weiss mimicked a scoff at the excuses. “Maybe not. But, at your speeds, sometimes I wonder if Yang’s literal punches would pack less of a punch than your hugs.”

“I was never that rough,” she muttered with a pout.

“Hellooo,” Yang drawled. Need I remind you, I’m right here?” Yang had been grinning at the strange wholesomeness of it all. “No offense Weiss, but a punch like mine would probably put you out _cold_.” She leaned on her partner and flexed her digital joints to accentuate the point.

“I resent that claim.” She crossed her arms, ignoring the wordplay. In the past, she’d let the brawler get under her skin a few times too many. Not anymore. “I do believe I’ve survived far worse.”

An ugly burning sensation reared in her abdomen at the mention, and it took a mountain of composure to avoid a wince.

“Barely,” Yang said with a sharper tone. Her postured straightened and her gaze fixed. “We just got lucky Jaune’s semblance unlocked when it did. You probably would’ve–OOF.” An elbow struck her in the side, and she was cut off with a forced exhale.

A hand wrapped itself tightly around Weiss’s own with a surprising amount of force. Weiss turned her head and was met with her partner’s gaze, noticeably more downtrodden than it had been just a moment ago. They exchanged looks for a briefly, before Ruby averted her attention to her friend risen from the dead.

Weiss was struck by a pang of guilt. It’d only been a few days shy of three weeks since the incident – her near death experience. Ruby’s distress had been no secret between the two of them, devotedly quelled by a tight embrace in the battle’s aftermath. It was a long, emotional night, but they’d survived. Now, Weiss felt a fool for treating it as ammunition in their banter, but was slow on the draw to voice her apology.

“Penny,” Ruby said, still a bit shaken at seeing her friend risen, after being torn apart. “I thought, you…” she trailed.

“Thought she died?” Moving them along, Pietro seemed more than willing to bridge those gaps, and with utmost transparency. He struck Weiss as an open, straight-forward type. Refreshing, really, considering recent developments. “Well, in a manner of speaking, I suppose she did.”

* * *

When they were abruptly bound and accosted, Weiss barely had time to gasp in surprise. Other than the grunts coming from the others, the takedowns were quick and quiet. She was forced to watch Ruby go last, too slow in her reflexes to shout a warning. There wasn’t even enough time to summon her gigas before one of the figures stepped into view. As their weapons were seized, she watched with fearful anticipation and bated breath as the most forward of their apprehenders approached Ruby’s immobile form, and reached out. She allowed a breath seeing that she was not being harmed, but cursed under it at the realization that relic was being taken.

Pietro shouted at them. “What is the meaning of this? What’re the Ace-Ops even doing down here, in Mantle!” He erupted into a coughing fit.

Ace-Ops? She remembered that name. She racked her memory, trying to recall something, anything specific about the group. Aside from the common media reports, she mustered vague recollections, of fliers circulating about Atlas Academy’s news space, and of some pitch the general had made to her regarding her future, many months ago.

As the Ace-Ops and the Knights began forcing them into a transport, Weiss, for the umpteenth time in her life, lauded the fact that looks don’t kill. If they could, Atlas would have been short at least one huntsman that night.

As the vehicle made its way, Weiss wrestled with the sudden disappointment of having been separated from her partner. A part of her heart had sunk when she noticed she and Ruby were the second-to-last and first people loaded into the back. She pushed her head against the inside, and surveyed the group. All looked similarly disheartened.

Past the hunched forms of her teammates, her gaze met Ruby’s once again. Ruby tried to front a reassuring smile, but it didn’t fare well as she probably hoped. Instead, it was apparent that she was struggling with some of the same feelings.

And this situation too, was familiar. They were again huddled in the back of an airship, watching the distant architectural flourishes pass them by. This time however, they were without their freedom – prisoners, in a sense, of the Atlesian bureaucracy. Dreadfully familiar. It reminded Weiss all too much of exactly why she hated the place. 


	3. Chapter 2: Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams change, and choices can be complicated.

They stepped into one of the academy’s dorm rooms. Ruby’s eyelids were heavy; the past twenty-four hours had been some of the most intense the journey thus far. Despite the ever-present itch for exploration in the back of her mind, after everything in Argus and with their meeting with Ironwood, staying awake was a hard battle in and of itself.

As soon as the door shut closed, she burst forth and upward to one of the beds with high ground, and relished in the dorm-room feeling – something that felt both new and nostalgic, her body practically ready to fall into the realm of sleep.

Though they probably weren’t faring much better, she heard her team’s voices ringing out around her, commenting on the architecture, the beds, the colors and the stylish hallways. But, she’s too tired to jump into the conversation. Their words go right through the other ear, and soon she falls into dark.

* * *

Dreams can be funny things. Not funny in the sense that they make you laugh or making you happy, but in the sense that they can be mysterious, or difficult, or both at the same time. Sometimes, dreams can make you wish for nothing more than for the dark to go away.

When Ruby was a little girl, she dreamed of being a fantastical huntress – of helping people, and living the life of adventure she’d always been told stories of. She’d be living a hero’s life of crime-fighting, grimm extermination, and discovery. Some of her stories also ended with the hero getting the sweetheart, but as a child Ruby never thought much about that part of her future. Why would you need all that stuff when you lived life like a fairy tale? If she were honest with herself, friends hadn’t even made their way into her dreams when she envisioned the life of a huntress. All of that only started to change when she got to Beacon.

Going to Beacon was kind of like its own adventure, and it started off great. Looking back, it wasn’t hard to see that it was RWBY’s last chance to live as care-free kids just having fun – going to classes, getting away with antics, and whatever else. Most importantly, her friends truly became part of the adventure for the first time. It wasn’t a solo journey anymore. Her team and their classmates may have had their personal goals and motivations, but at the end of the day they all wanted some of the same things.

Like her, Yang craved the adventure of it all, with good deeds sprinkled in. Blake had more complicated problems, but it boiled down to helping the vulnerable. And then there was Weiss. And Weiss’s ambition was something else altogether.

The drive is part of what makes her great. Sure, she was pretty harsh at first, but that didn’t cancel out everything she’d become. In a way, Weiss threw a bigger wrench into that grand huntress dream than anyone at Beacon. 

It used to be that Ruby envisioned touring the world and its kingdoms, saving lives and slaying any grimm to be found, not paying much attention to the safety risks. In her dreams as a trainee, there’d been an enthusiasm to risk her life wholeheartedly. But with all the lessons they’ve been learning, she wondered if she’d actually begun to find one worth saving it for, and sharing the adventure with.

The partnership between them was one thing that made her dreams change. Before long, _everything_ had changed. Beacon fell. People died. Pyrrha died, and Penny was torn apart. Yang was in no condition to fight, Weiss had been taken away from them, and RWBY, for all intents and purposes, didn’t exist for months.

Across the journey, her dreams had transformed each part of the way, and it was terrible. What had once long ago been bright, heroic futures directly became dark, unrelenting disasters. They were the same series of things, several nights a week for months. Not getting to Penny in time, not getting to Pyrrha in time, and being powerless to fight as Weiss was taken or disappeared into the shadows. In the weeks after the fall, Ruby’d felt as if she were experiencing her own, blood-borne brand of loneliness. That was mostly how her dreams stayed, until she got close to Mistral.

After the day she learned the truth about the relics and their gods, the dreamland was always a roller coaster. Weird lights and figures after hearing the story, terror and fear after her encounter with Tyrian, hope when they reached Mistral, peace after reuniting with her sister and her partner, loneliness after Weiss’s injury, and helplessness the night after their encounter with the apathy. There was one saving grace in that whole thing: maybe to her guilty pleasure, it had taken a night of Weiss’s close embrace to make sleep come easily. Now, in Atlas, she found her dreams changing again. She dreamed of a crossroads, at an intersection of choices. The weight of the world bore on her shoulders, and the roads were twisted and filled with misdirection.

Over the months her dreams had changed drastically and quickly. Once carefree and fun-filled, they were now distraught and fear-filled more often than not. They were out of her control , and on some nights made sleep a chore. She was reminded of this when she woke up in the middle of the night with a light sweat.

* * *

Weiss woke to the sound of a yelp just above her. Her eyes popped open, and her groggy mind urged a return to unconsciousness. This was made difficult by the quick ruffling of sheets and a sigh. Was Ruby awake?

The answer was clear when a body lept down from the higher bed and landed with a light thud. She contemplated reaching out, but didn’t act on it, hoping out of concern that it was nothing important. Those hopes were shaken when her partner opened the door and walked out, gently enough that she barely made a whisper.

She shook the tired haze out of her muscles and rubbed her eyes out. Remembering the shared dorm, she worried for a second that Blake and Yang had been stirred by the sudden movements, but they gave no indication of it. Their breaths were steady and subdued. Yang was sprawled out as usual, probably out cold. Blake made herself smaller in her sleep, her arms folded and clutching at shoulders. Seeing no change in their rhythms, Weiss went out the door and into the light.

Said light hit her like a truck, and her eyes clenched shut as they adjusted. Moving along slowly, she made her way through hallways and across common areas, searching for the missing huntress. Her concern spiked when all of the closest sites turned up empty, save for the occasional student or two, asleep and completely unaware.

She racked her brain, trying to think of alternatives. Would Ruby have gone to a different floor? Why? A visit to the academy’s workshop? No, she couldn’t have known where she was going, already. She’d started to consider going back to the room, before a stray memory came back from one of their most notable Beacon memories.

She recalled a warm, clear evening. A stressful, treacherous evening, but one that had appeared to signal a promising future at the time. It was a huddle just after their victory over the White Fang in Vale, shared between the team on one of Beacon’s landing platforms. That was when they were but trainees, but with the victory, they felt on top of the world. It was a euphoric aftermath, regardless of the loose ends. If Ruby were looking for an easy place away, that would do it.

Rather than spend an hour checking the lounges floor-by-floor, Weiss took the elevator to ground floor. She stepped out of the lobby and into open air, hugging herself close as the Atlesian chill bit at her. The shivers compelled some part of her to question what in the world inspired the girl to come out here in the dead of night, but her rational side already had a good idea.

Despite bright white lights meshing with the city’s sleek blues, Ruby’s form stuck out on the landing pad. She was sitting near the edge, her arms resting atop folded knees. More than most things, Weiss found the riveting hair to be an alluring beacon from a distance.

The ex-heiress approached slowly from the side. “You really shouldn’t be out here,” she called.

Ruby turned her head at the voice and offered a small smile, looking far less forced than her earlier attempt.

They sat side-by-side without another word and looked out at the city, taking in the view in a companionable silence, only upset by the rush of wind, followed by shivers.

Episodes such as these were not as plentiful as they would have liked. They were interspersed between periods of intense stress, and ended too soon before the next hiatus.

Being here, and after coming this far, it made it easier to realize how these moments had grown in their importance. During their time at Beacon, it was all about doing _things_. About team bonding activities, or studying, or the odd card game. But ever since Mistral? And since Haven? Silence seemed to speak volumes. Every sympathetic caress and appreciative clutch communicated a wish or relief. _I missed you_. _I don’t want to lose you_. Speech was no longer required in their shared moments, but Ruby did eventually break the spell with a question.

She laid her head on a comforting shoulder, and gave it a nuzzle.

“How are you?” she asked softly.

Weiss ran her fingers through the hair. “I feel like I need to be asking you that.” A breeze made them cuddle tighter, personal space be damned.

“I suppose you’re having trouble sleeping?”

“You could say that.” Ruby let out a sigh. “Can I ask you something?”

“I believe you’ve asked me several somethings, already.” She couldn’t help but grin at her own dumb joke. Truly, Yang’s influence was ruining her.

Ruby pouted. “Weeeeiis,” she uttered with false annoyance.

“I’m joking, I’m joking,” she said. “What is it?”

Ruby took her hand, and rubbed along the joints. “Do you think what I did was right?”

She pondered a moment. “That’s a complicated question.” For certain, it was a difficult situation on all sides.

“It’s just… do you think I should have told him the whole truth? Should I have done, I don’t know, better?”

“Well, how you feel about your choice?”

“I” – Ruby squeezed her hand a little harder – “felt pretty sure, at first.” It was probably easy, she thought, leaving out large swaths of the story. The jarring state of Mantle had left them all on edge. “After seeing things in Mantle, I was sure we shouldn’t really trust him yet. But then, when he gave me back the lamp,-” she looked to the ground, remembering how taken aback she’d been on the inside “-I felt kind of guilty.”

Ruby was struggling with her decision. Weiss didn’t blame her. The general certainly seemed genuine. And she took no pleasure in having to conceal their hand from him. But, if she’d learned anything from the past three-to-four weeks, it was that at the end of the day most people are promoting an agenda, and are often misled by what they believe is right.

“For what it’s worth,” – she took Ruby by the chin, and met her brilliant, argent eyes with her own – “I think you made a sound decision. We’ll play along for a while, before we make another major decision.” She brushed her cheek with her thumb. “I do believe in you, you know.”

They embraced in a proper hug. Weiss wrapped her arms around Ruby’s waist, feeling another pair wrap itself around her neck. They remained in that position for as long as they needed. If it weren’t for the exceptional Atlesian climate, they might almost have forgotten they were standing outside. After pulling away, they were so close they could almost feel the pink rising in each other’s face. Weiss stole a glance at enticing lips, before being re-entranced with striking eyes. Ruby’s smile was both affectionate and anticipating, as if communicating an unspoken invitation.

In a show of strength that was sure to rival even the hardiest of military commanders and the most potent feats of magic, Weiss brought herself to pull slightly away, one hand still cupping her partner’s cheek. She was met with a look of surprise, and then what was probably stinging disappointment.

“I’m pretty sure we both know what we want,” she said, in as loving a tone as she could currently muster. “But I’d like to wait, just a little while.” She gestured to their setting. “We’re both tired, we’re outside on a landing pad, and tomorrow is a big day. I’m not asking to wait a long time; I just want to be able to do this properly with you, on an opportune day. You deserve that much.”

Ruby didn’t say anything, initially. She was quiet, and looked away at the background, in thought. Before Weiss could think she’d made a mistake, she looked back and gave another nuzzle. “Yeah, ok. I can do that.”

With that, they separated but their hands stayed joint as they moved back inside. “Nice Weiss strikes again,” she slipped in.

She had to make a conscious effort to suppress a groan at the comment.

They were contentedly quiet on the way back past the lobby and up the elevator. Their last shared words of the night came when they reached the room. Just as Ruby was about to open the door, she turned around, and planted a quick, firm kiss on her partner’s cheek. “Thanks, Weiss. You’re the best.”

Weiss was filled with a special sort of elation. She flashed a proud smile in return. “Of course. I promised, didn’t I?”

After gently resettling into bed, neither suffered bad dreams, at least for the night.


	4. Chapter 3: Partner Looks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Partners and their looks can be fascinating things.

Weiss perused herself in the mirror, satisfied with the changes to her persona. They brought out new, decorative elements, but still retained that elegant air about her, keeping the graceful poise in her walk. The makeup was maybe a bit of an indulgence, but it _felt_ so right, as if the look were necessarily lesser without it.

The hair was honestly an experiment, but the tightly wound braid was as distinctive as she’d hoped. It was an outspoken style on her part, and it was working rather great.

However extraordinary, she couldn’t deny that that they were changes long overdue. Switching out clothes, it felt like the end of an era. Her previous dress had been donned even before her involvement in this war – before she had any idea that magic was real, that souls could be reincarnated, or that some of humanity’s most fundamental gifts existed in tangible forms. She’d been little more than kid, separated from her teammates, and reeling from the greatest loss thus far in her life.

It was an article that had been up to her choice, sure, but it was just that – one choice, from a selection expressly permitted by her father. It appeared elegant and enticing, but it was never out of concern for her approval; it was an order she reservedly obeyed.

But now, _this_ was entirely her. It represented everything she was and everything she valued, from the versatility allowed by the combat skirt, to the regality afforded to the tiara, to the pride in the name Schnee and the symbolism in her rubies.

So, she guessed that in a way, it _is_ the end of an era. Despite the challenges, they were all alive, and different huntsmen from what they’d started as. There was a light bitter-sweetness in the realization that they could never go back to innocence of Beacon, but it was an important, necessary part of progress, Ren would say. And it went a great way to filling her with pride.

Her stare in the mirror dragged on some time, as she fully came to term with the changes. At some point, she noticed another figure in the reflection.

She smiled at her. “You look beautiful, Ruby.” She also took it upon herself to give her a thorough appraisal, the admiring expression plastered all over her face.

Ruby stepped into the room and out of the doorway, and Weiss turned away from the mirror to meet her gaze directly. She hoped as strongly as a person could hope that the budding warmth in her cheeks didn’t manifest as a full-fledged blush. Nobody needed for them to turn into messes subject to one-another’s scrutiny. Brothers knew that one pair was enough.

Ignoring the warmth for the time-being, Ruby was a sight to behold at first glance. Her outfit was reminiscent of something right out of a warrior damsel’s storybook. The wild, unkempt hair – as outspoken as her own – had a heroic air about it, complimented by the belts and rounds on her waist. It was absolutely beautiful in its own right, but also expressed the willingness to kill whenever the need should arise.

“You do too, Weiss!” she said, excitedly. “You look like some kind of awesome warrior princess, except better than a princess, because you’re not stuck in a castle!”

“Well, I’m glad you like it.” She crossed her arms with a giggle. “And, thank you, for your help with the braid.”

“Oh yeah, anytime. Yang probably could have made it faster, though. I’ve never really had to practice braids before.” Ruby rubbed the back of her head, as if out of some embarrassment.

“Nonsense, you did fine. It came out great.” Weiss put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, before Ruby’s attention turned to the rubies of Weiss’s own. She showed a coy grin. “Are…these for me?”

“Perhaps.” Weiss tried not to give any indication of her own embarrassment. “I thought it would be fitting.” They were one of her favorite parts of the ensemble.

Ruby hummed in approval. “I think they go well with the rest of your red.” Appreciating her somewhat-girlfriend’s outfit, Ruby apparently came to a startling realization. Her face twisted into one of horror, and surprise.

“Hey,” Weiss tried to console, “what’s wrong?”

“I just realized. I don’t have any special charms to symbolize you.” She let out a whine.

Weiss chuckled. “Ruby, it’s ok. This isn’t a transaction.” She combed her free hand through her partner’s hair, learning the feel of the spikier, choppier style. “It was a spur of the moment decision, just because I like you so much.” She accentuated the point by pinching the girl’s cheek.

Ruby pouted. “You know, I punched Yang the last time she pinched my cheeks like that.”

Another chuckle had to be suppressed. “Are you going to punch me?”

For a second, it seemed Ruby was truly considering her answer, before she snorted a laugh. “Nah. You’re just lucky you’re cute.

“Wow, the bubbly, optimistic girl with silver eyes, calling me cute?” They hugged. “I’m honored. But, you’re cute too.”

They touched foreheads with a gentle fondness, and nuzzled cheeks, but postponed anything more.

“As much as I enjoy this,” Weiss conceded, with a sigh, “I do believe we have an airship to catch.”

Ruby nodded in agreement. “You’re right.” But that wasn’t it. It was obvious there was more just beyond her horizon – a question unasked, or a concern unvoiced, until it was. “But, how about we hang out, afterwards? A partner bonding activity?”

Weiss smiled again. “A partner bonding activity, then.”

* * *

Successful landing strategies all around. You gotta love to see it.

Ruby was excited. Not only to see more pro huntsmen in action, but also to see this abandoned mine, and the grimm it definitely hid.

Just as she was about to rush ahead, she overheard Yang fumbling around with her words. Not a common occurrence, really.

“Uh, sorry, just not used to the new hair yet.”

She rolled her eyes. She was glad her sister could be there for Blake, but the awkwardness of some of their interactions was grinding to watch.

She turned to Weiss, who had a similar impression. “We’re not that bad, are we?”

Weiss pondered briefly. “I certainly hope not. Otherwise, we’re some fairly big hypocrites.”


	5. Chapter 4: Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say you don't choose your family. Team RWBY would disagree.

“Ha ha, this isn’t the schoolyard, kid.”

Well, that sounded condescending, Weiss thought. Granted, Ruby did have her bouts of unbridled enthusiasm, but her wish to aspire to a higher standard of cooperation with the team was nothing to laugh off. To Weiss, it seemed a goal that would always be worth striving for.

“But I mean, when you go through so much with someone, it kind of changes things, doesn’t it?”

Nobody needed to look in Yang’s direction to know what was on her mind. Her tone conveyed it just fine – she was confident things could certainly change. And she wasn’t the only one. At the mention of change, Weiss turned her attention to Yang and her question, and allowed a stolen glance at her partner. Ruby must not have noticed – she didn’t break her concerned gaze.

“… but that’s the job. We _don’t_ confuse the two.” Harriet went to take her leave of them, apparently taking little interest in the prospect of mixing work and positive relationships.

On that sour note, Weiss didn’t immediately return focus to her team. Instead, she looked on, at their new allies. She thought back to a time she might have agreed with them – a time in which the work and her personal mission were all that mattered, a mentality thrown out the window after experiencing the loss of those relationships.

Their neglect is a sad mistake, she thought. Hopefully, they’d eventually realize it.

After a few seconds of unpleasant silence had passed between them, their leader appeared to bounce back, and regained her charming, hopeful demeanor.

“ooh! What do you guys want to do when we get back to Atlas? Sightseeing? Oh, what would we visit first?”

Internally, Weiss was hoping, for once, that Ruby wouldn’t look directly at her. As cute and inspiring as the girl was, sightseeing in Atlas was not how she wanted to spend the rest of the day before she was properly rested. At least, not with the entire team. Blake and Yang were family now, without a doubt, but a tour of the city also sounded like a prime idea for a one-on-one outing.

Blake let out a yawn, walking away. “How about our beds?”

Weiss breathed a silent, shallow sigh of relief.

“Oh, come on, guys! This is a great time to go exploring!”

“Ruby,” Weiss interjected, “We did just explore a whole continent on foot, before flying to this one.” Some part of her was certainly apologetic at helping to shut her down, but in this case, it was a small part.

“Not to mention the fact that we almost died,” Yang added.

Ruby snorted a playful scoff at the complaint, but her mood is dashed further as Yang too walks away.

As cold as Weiss was, she was no longer heartless. She gave Ruby a gentle pat on the back. She was such an adventurer.

“It’s fine, honestly. Just give it some time, before we go scaling skyscrapers and flying the city limits.”

Ruby’s pout did little in the way of change. Weiss started lightly rubbing the blades of her shoulder.

“At least we still have our partner bonding activity later, right?”

That did seem to raise the girl’s spirits a bit. She was clearly still deflated from not being able to dive head-first into exploring the novel kingdom, but their plan saved it from being a total bust.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Hey. Head’s up.” Qrow grabbed their attention, and Clover commanded the leaders’ presence. This was where they’d separate.

That’s you’re calling,” Weiss conceded. They exchanged a nod and a grin, before Ruby took her leave.

* * *

She expected this to happen. It was always a foregone conclusion that this encounter would come to pass; she just didn’t think it would be here, and now.

The sight of the SDC transport brought a feeling of uncompromising cold – not in fear, but out of disgust. She no longer feared him and his threats, but now his very presence was repugnant. Now, Weiss thought she could finally understand some of what Winter had grappled with in the months after her leaving.

With every meeting, the reactions had become more austere: a counter-argument to the slightest challenge, a sneer at the smallest SDC corporate interest, and complete distaste for any number of attempted, nonessential communications. It was because Jacques Schnee is a repulsive human being. Weiss hadn’t been able to see it clearly before, being too innocent to see the writing on the wall and too immersed in his planning to seek it out. Not anymore.

She stood with her head held high, flanked by her teammates. She wondered what exactly their first impressions might be, but didn’t much doubt they’d feel similarly.

So, when he approached, and went on about his own character, Weiss could only roll her eyes. Gone was the image of her father as her imposing patriarch, and emblazoned was her perception of a tyrannical wretch that needed to be taken down several pegs.

All of that resolve held firm, and went some way to showing him as much. But she hadn’t expected him to mention mother, hadn’t expected him to play so dirty so quick. In hindsight, she shouldn’t have expected any less.

* * *

Ruby had never really been in the business of hating people. It wasn’t necessarily that she tried to see the good in everyone, it was more like she didn’t feel the impulse to see other people the same way she saw the monsters they killed.

Bullies? Misguided jerks, but better left ignored unless they threatened you with violence. Street criminals? Scum to be stopped, but not worth more time than it takes to bring them to justice. In her youth, she’d even managed to avoid most of the racial tensions that embroiled the world.

But Jacques Schnee? More in that moment than ever before, she _hated_ Jacques Schnee with a focus. In that moment, so many things – things she’d only ever been told, or been given glimpses of – became clear. Weiss’s journey for change, Winter’s distant persona, and Qrow’s mocking tone at most mentions of the Schnee name in conversation. All of it made a little more sense. It was all because of him.

She didn’t show it the same way the others did. Blake’s judging scowl was clear and visible for all to see, her contempt open and concentrated. Yang’s face wasn’t as harsh, but it was easy to tell that she was itching for some justice to be brought upon this man. They all stepped forward, as a team. Ruby took one of Weiss’s hands in her own, and gave a supportive smile, a reaffirmation of a promise she would never be keen to break.

After all, they were family. All four of them. 


	6. Chapter 5: Varieties of sparks.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With this new order, you've got all kinds of sparks.

“Good morning, Team RWBY!” Weiss was awoken by the harsh screech of an enthusiastic voice. Anyone who’d known her a year ago might have expected her to twist, turn, or toss a pillow in the direction of the auditory assailant. And true to form, she almost did turn over and ignore it, before she realized who the culprit was. For a year of her life she’d grown accustomed to Ruby being the one to wake them in the mornings with a raucous shriek. Now, together in the Atlas dorm, she’d half-expected it to be Ruby again, despite whatever growth they’d been through.

But in a way, this was worse. This one didn’t sleep at all, and Weiss was less inclined to tell them off.

“Ugh, Penny. What time is it?” Yang asked.

Too early, Weiss thought silently. Some part of her knew it was necessary to wake up at such an hour, but the other part was resentful.

“Time to be huntresses, of course!”

She groaned in harmony with half of her team, while Ruby cheered, already halfway dressed. Compared to their leader, the members of Team RWBY were slow to get up and ready. Weiss was still rubbing the fatigue out of her eyes when hands wrapped themselves around her wrists, and slid into her own.

“Come on, Weiss! We gotta go see the mission boards!” That was really just Ruby’s way of saying they had a mandatory briefing.

She let out a yawn, and nodded in surrender. “I know, I know. Just give me a minute, or two.” At that, Ruby allowed her some space, and resigned to excitedly pacing around the room, asking Penny about the more high-venture missions, and all the while with that animated pep in her step. Weiss had to grin at the energy. Maybe waking up would be easier if the alarm clock came with that girl’s charm.

This idea came to her again, when, after a long day of guarding resources, she could feel herself dosing off on her partner’s shoulder.

* * *

“I just wanted to say how excited I am to work with you in a professional capacity!”

“Ha, me too, Penny.”

It really was something, working with Penny again. Ruby had never really expected to get another opportunity, after everything. It was a relief, getting this chance at friendship again.

“Really, relationships are so interesting, and varied!”

The mention of relationships brought Ruby’s mind flushing with some of the ones she’d fostered over the years – all of them changed and tested, in their own ways. None of these relationships had been tested more than between her and her team. An almost ever-present big sister, a passionate activist, and a white-haired beauty.

“Speaking of friends…” she started, trying not to get off track. “Have you been able to make any new ones? Since, you know?” As happy as she was to see Penny alive, Ruby also had to hold out hope that the protector hadn’t been friendless in the interim.

Apparently, Penny hadn’t been so lucky thus far. On some level, Ruby couldn’t be surprised by Ironwood’s priorities. It didn’t make it any less sad, though.

“Oh, uh, how do you feel about that?”

“ I feel like… I wish I could do both the things I need to do, and the things I want to do. Is that normal?”

Ruby chuckled at the honesty of the question. “Penny, trying to find a perfect balance between our duties and our desires is about as normal as it gets. I think it’s one of life’s great, basic human challenges.

“I see. That is very encouraging.” Penny stared out at the tundra, as if in hard thought. It’s kind of funny, in a way, watching her navigate such human struggles.

“So then, how do you and Weiss find a balance?”

Ruby’s face flared warm. She hadn’t been expecting Penny, or anyone, to bring it up so soon. She looked to the floor of the transport. “Ha, you noticed, huh?”

Penny returned a pleasant blank, expression. “Oh, of course. Your bond is quite clear.” Before Ruby could respond, Penny leaned closer, up to her ear, and whispered in a hushed tone. “Or is it supposed to be a secret?”

“It isn’t,” she clarified. “We just haven’t really, officially, told anyone yet.”

“Oh. Well, worry not, dear friend! I am sure everyone has noticed, already!” Somehow, Ruby began to realize her friend still needed more work on emotional support.

“That’s cool, I guess.” She looked up again. “But to answer your question: Weiss and I are still figuring that out. We’re not even really together yet, actually. We’re just… waiting for the right time. We’ll know it when we see it.”

“Truly?” Penny asked, with a curious gusto.

“Truly.” Ruby crossed one leg over the other and leaned her head back, summing the journey in her head. “Neither of us has ever really been in a military order before. It’s hard to know what to expect from our time, or even if there is time for a girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend…” Penny repeated the word to herself, as if it were something she’d read in a book once. “Regardless of your decision to take it slow, I do believe congratulations are in order. So, congratulations, Ruby!”

Ruby laughed under a breath. “Thank you, Penny.”

* * *

“I don’t know. I just wish we could try harder to work together, instead of against each other.” From what Weiss could tell, the supplies had gotten to Amity in the end, and without spilled blood. But still, she didn’t blame Ruby for feeling this way. It was a tough set of circumstances.

“I don’t disagree.” She joined their hands, and led them over to sit on one of the room’s many raised blocks. She gently pat her on the back, before bringing her in for a hug. “For now, I suppose we just have to keep our heads down; we need to keep our eyes on Amity, right?”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah, I guess.” She leaned her head against Weiss’s shoulder. “By the way, what do they have you doing right now? Just training?”

Before Ruby’d even finished her sentence, the door to the arena slid open with a deep electric hum. They both looked over to see Winter, as professional and upright as ever. They quickly separated, but not before receiving a curious look.

“Sister.” She looked to Ruby. “Ruby.”

Ruby brought her hands together upfront, and awkwardly bowed her head. “Winter; Operative; Ms. Schnee?”

“Winter will suffice, thank you.” She said with a straight face. “I’m afraid I must ask you to give us some time to talk, alone.”

“Oh, of course.” She put her hands up in reconciliation. “Don’t mind me, I’ll just be on my way. As always, I look forward to our next meeting!”

Ruby gave Weiss a smile, which was mirrored, and moved to leave.

“Oh, and Ms. Rose?”

She stopped, and turned just enough to face them again.

“Thank you, for taking a special interest in my sister.” It wasn’t quite a smile, but Winter had the working parts of a grin on her face.

Ruby rubbed the back of her head, and instantly looked a bit rosier. “She’s pretty great, isn’t she?”

Winter answered in a nonchalant tone, without looking away. “She’s satisfactory.”

With that, Weiss huffed, and Ruby stepped out.

“I see you two have grown closer.” Winter assumed a fighting stance.

“You have no idea,” Weiss said, gripping the hilt of her weapon.


	7. Chapter 6, Part I: A Night off, Hopefully

Tonight had been shaping up to be an ordinary night. Or whatever passed for ordinary these days, anyway. They’d take direction from Ironwood and the Ace-Ops, – maybe guard a few transports, or clear a few packs of grimm – take a mission or two from the bulletin, and then retire to do some variation of that the next day. Free time did pass by in small chunks, but it was more of a time of reprieve than leisure. Which is why Ruby’s news was pleasantly unexpected.

“They’re giving us a night off?” Weiss had to ask, surprised. It wasn’t that she didn’t want one – on the contrary, a night off was just the thing they needed. It was the perfect opportunity to focus her attention away from the mission for an important moment. But it felt almost _too_ good to be true, coming from these military types.

“Yeah!” Isn’t it great?”

To nobody’s surprise, Ruby was already diving headfirst into the idea. It was obvious she’d been wanting to make good on her time in Atlas since day one, ready to explore another whole continent.

“Ironwood isn’t sure what’s gonna happen tonight, so he wants us to come back tomorrow, ready and fresh.” Containing her excitement briefly, she leaned close, and whispered into Weiss’s ear. “This means we can finally do something, remember?”

Weiss smirked. “As if I could forget.” She made the effort to sound offended. “I’ve actually been pouring over our options, ever since that night.” She gave a wide, genuine smile. It felt so good to finally be able to organize something like this. “And, I believe I have the perfect proposal.”

She’d expected Ruby to continue to be her excited self. But her expectation was thrown out the window when the girl’s face morphed into a blank, and then into a light frown. 

“Oh,” she muttered.

It abruptly pulled Weiss out of her reverie, and her eyebrows shot up a bit in concern. She didn’t like seeing anything aside from a smile on that face. “What is it?” she asked.

Ruby swallowed, just barely hard enough to be visible. “I… actually may have already committed to a plan for tonight.”

Weiss’s eyebrows rose further, this time out of fascination. “Oh.”

Truth be told, it didn’t feel like anything to fret over. She didn’t much care who made their plan, so long as they spent the time together.

“Ruby, it’s OK. It really doesn’t matter who makes the plan, so long as we’re together.”

“Are you sure?” Ruby looked her in the eye, with a discernible hope.

“Positive.”

“Well, you see,” – Ruby scraped at the floor of the dorm room with a foot – “the city’s curfew doesn’t apply to us, right? We don’t have to be in early?”

“Right.”

“And, with the election going on, everybody’s going to be partying in Mantle, once Robyn wins.”

“ _If_ Robyn wins,” she said cautiously.

“Sure, if she wins.” Ruby waved dismissively, as if trying to swipe away some unseen debris. “Either way, I figured we could go to one of the victory parties to celebrate your dad getting his butt kicked. Then, maybe we could take a walk together?”

A frigid pang rushed through Weiss’s blood. She had to pause to make sure she heard right. “An… election rally?” She repeated it slowly to avoid a stutter.

“Actually, I think it’s supposed to be more of a party than a rally, but I guess?” Ruby sounded uncertain, their tones now matching. “Is that bad?”

She let the idea sink in. She envisioned them spending a good portion of the evening at this political assembly, and allowed it to bring back a flood of memories better left ignored. As these episodes poured in, everything started to feel more drowning. For their date, Ruby wanted to go humor a politically charged mob. Weiss’s expression fell from its immaculate pedestal.

She’d been imagining a night like this for what felt like weeks – away from the Atlesian bureaucracy, alone with her partner. A chance to show Ruby some of the admitted beauty of Atlas at night, or explore some of Mantle’s finest hole-in-the-wall shops. A joyous occasion was now starting to drip with disappointment.

“Ruby, I…-” She trailed, at first. She took a second to rack her brain, trying to find something positive to say about the plan, only to come up with nothing. There was nothing comforting about it.

“-I don’t think I can do that.”

“I-is it because of the time? I don’t mind leaving a little early,” Ruby offered.

“It’s not, no.” Shaking her head, Weiss took a breath and sat on her bed.

Ruby took a spot to her side, confused, and put a hand on her shoulder. “What is it? Talk to me,” the girl pleaded.

Weiss wanted to talk to her, wanted to make her see that it was a bad idea. She willed herself to find the words, and provide a perfectly acceptable plea. But her mouth was left open, gaping at nothing, reaching at a perfect explanation that couldn’t arrive.

“Would it be better if we _got there_ early?”

Weiss’s whole body jolted as the familiar chill set in her spine. An old acquaintance, really. It hadn’t resurfaced since she’d been locked in a cage, her choices stripped, and freedom robbed. For those hours, she’d become a thing of bargaining, to have its value calculated and negotiated. But before that? Well, she remembered feeling that chill whenever she knew to anticipate the force of her father’s hand, or the judgment of the public eye under the same man’s watch. It had always been the first sign of a firm correction in the making. Now here it was again.

Ruby retracted at the sudden jerk, and her frown was increasingly filled with worry. “Weiss are you OK?” she urged again.

The reply came hurried and empty, but it got out, nonetheless. “Yes, I’ll survive.”

They waited for Weiss to regain her faculties.

“Did I ever tell you about the times my brother and I would pose as the SDC’s poster-children?” she finally ventured. It was somewhat of a rhetorical question – she’d told her teammates some of the stories already. But she’d avoided some of the more _belligerent_ parts of the experience.

“Uhm,” Ruby tripped, going along with the change in the train of thought. “Yeah, I think so. Your dad made you guys manipulate and perform for people, right? Something about getting people to want to give business?”

Weiss nodded slightly. “That was the idea. But it didn’t always work out.” She stared off into space at nothing in particular, not focused on any one spot . It was easier to remember unpleasant memoires that way. “In some form or another, my father is all about playing politics, whether it’s working a group of people into a trap, or squirming his way into any little piece of good publicity.”

“He definitely leaves an impression,” Ruby commented.

“He does. And his ploys don’t always work. Gods know there are people out there that see him for the conniving weasel he is. But they work often enough.” She put one of her hands over the other in her lap, and squeezed. “They work often enough that he expects results. He’d put us out there, in front of the world to charm it, to move it. And when those results were lackluster, we were ‘firmly corrected’.”

Ruby’s eyebrows turned in disgust. She made no secret for her hatred of the man. But almost as easily as it had come, the disgust receded, and gave way to realization, then shock. “Weiss,” she gasped. “You don’t think… that I’d-”

“No, not really. I know you wouldn’t.”

“Weiss!” Ruby exclaimed, incredulous. “I promised I wouldn’t leave your side. But I wouldn’t ask you to put yourself out there, like that!”

“I know. I know you don’t mean to suggest it like that.” She pulled her own hands apart, and brought one up to rest below the neck. “But you may as well have.”

The younger girl’s features still shouted disbelief. But Weiss didn’t want her thinking she didn’t trust her.

“Ruby,” she started. “I know you wouldn’t throw me out there like that. I know you want the time together as much as I do.”

After practically avoiding a direct line of sight, their eyes did eventually meet again.

“But you need to understand, the political forces, here in Atlas especially, aren’t rational or jubilant. They’re a _poison_. The people navigating them will appear as friends at first, just as soon as they’d rob you blind.”

As supportive as Ruby was, Weiss could tell all the cynicism was deflating her hopes. She hated ever having to burst one of Ruby’s bubbles. But politics was a road she wasn’t sure she could follow.

“I’m sorry. It was never my intent to dash your hopes, or shoot down your commitment.” She stroked Ruby’s cheek with one of her thumbs. “But I really don’t think I can go back to being on those pedestals, in that view, father or no.”

Despite her efforts to front a smile, Ruby’s eyebrows betrayed her disappointment. “Well, I wouldn’t want you to do that for me. But are you sure there’s nothing I can do to make it, I don’t know, less traumatic?”

The question just sort of hung in the air for a short while, and silence washed over them without an answer.

Weiss was loath to admit that the plea could poked a hole in her resolve. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but feel guilty, feel weak, for allowing her nerves over Atlas and her father to get the better of her. Yet, she also still couldn’t bring herself to say yes. Not to such a malignance.

But maybe the blow could be dampened. There was something else she’d been wanting to say, throughout the recent events. It scratched against her filter at every opportunity. 

It may not have been the ideal time for such a thing, but maybe it would do some good.

“I appreciate your effort, Ruby. I do, whether or not it’s obvious.” She combed some dark red locks away from their faces. “What’s more, I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

She thought freely back to those chilling times. In which her longings were far removed from reality. “In the past, I’ve spent a long time wrestling desires I had deep inside, conflicted with the knowledge that my destiny was laid out for me. I spent more nights than I could count wondering when exactly I’d be in my father’s place, or how long I’d be stuck as some mannequin looking out at life.”

She scoffed. “I’ve had enough of it for a lifetime. Two lifetimes, even. But that’s _not_ my life anymore. And thanks to you, it never will be.”

The younger girl’s cheeks flared a light rose, and let out a huff of her own. “Thanks, Weiss. I’m always here if you need me. ”

The detail gave Weiss an amused smirk. “Really though,” Ruby picked up, clearly apologetic. “I’m not gonna _force_ you to do anything. I don’t want you to be miserable, and, if you don’t feel good about putting yourself in that position, I’m OK with that. But,-” she looked down, and away “-Penny’s gonna be working security tonight, too. And I don’t know when Ironwood will give her another chance to hang out, off-mission.”

For the most part, Ruby tended to wear her feelings on her sleeve, even if she hadn’t been as vocal. She hadn’t said it out loud, but it was clear to Weiss that she was still hinged on the fact that their friend had come back from the dead. Weiss wasn’t blind to the gravity of it all. But, one thing was true – an opportunity like this would be even more of a rarity down the line.

“On that, we can agree, Ruby. We _don’t_ know when we’ll get another opportunity like this. But I’m not going to say you shouldn’t go.” However disappointing and unfortunate this was, the ex-heiress would put up no argument.

Ruby wasn’t hers, or anyone’s, to control. If it meant allowing her the choice, Weiss was willing to pay a price.

“You mean-”

“I’m saying you should go. Get out there, and support your friend, while you can.” Her words spoke reassurance, but the sting somewhere in her heart told a different story. “We’ll be fine. I promise.”

The uneasy silence creeped back in, never quite gone. For the first time since they’d reunited in Mistral, there was a discomfort between them. And Weiss hated it – hated that she was coming anywhere close to being put off by Ruby’s presence. Most of all, she hated the thought that she was letting them down.

Maybe in some way she was being overly finicky about the public judgement? Maybe she should have just sucked it up? There’s no telling when there’d be another good opportunity to show Ruby how real her feelings were, or when there’d be a better time to fulfill this weeks-old desire that had been gnawing at the both. All of the shortcomings just amounted to guilt.

In her musings, Weiss hadn’t even registered that Ruby had closed the distance between them, until she felt a warmth cup her cheeks.

“I like you,” she said somberly.

Even through the unease, Weiss made no move to deter the touch. “I like you too.”

“C-can we still do something, then?” Ruby brought them into a light, but heartfelt hug. “I can tell this isn’t exactly the night either of us had been hoping for.”

Weiss tried to savor the embrace, while trying to stave off some feeling of loss.

“But,” Ruby continued, “I’d really like to go out with you, after I leave the party. It doesn’t have to be a lot – I just wanna be with you for a while.”

Weiss made the mistake of pulling back a bit and gazing into saddened but yearning silver eyes. Sadness didn’t belong in those eyes.

“Please?”

She took in a deep breath, and blinked. “If you’d like, then… I think we can manage that.”

Leaving off on that shaky promise, they hugged tighter. They stayed in it until their arms got tired, and then went separate ways until evening, uncertain but not without hope.

\------

“We still have hours ahead of us, but as votes come in, it looks more and more certain that Robyn Hill will fill the open council seat.” The broadcasts were absolutely eating the polls up - everyone was. All the news programs and last-minute campaigns throughout Mantle were taking these polls as a sort of scripture. And that played right into Weiss’s bewilderment.

“There’s no way my father could have thought layoffs would do anything but hurt him. So, why announce this the day before the election?”

Weiss knew her father. He was a far better politician than this. So why the self-destruct? She was lost enough in thought that she didn’t process the concerned gaze pointed at her.

The whole of Atlas seemed to think it was a botched maneuver. But it didn’t feel like that. She’d watched this man worm his way around a confrontation more times than anyone could count, and he almost always knew how to get though scrutiny by the thinnest of margins. He would have been able to see this coming from miles away. So, why?

“… the best part about dance clubs? I can’t hear you,” Yang ended in a whisper from across the room. Apparently, Weiss had clocked out of the first half of the discussion of her teammates’ date. At a dance club.

A fine way to get away from the election, she thought. Even if it wasn’t her style.

“Ruby come on!” came a call from the door.

Weiss did her best to keep from appearing in total disapproval. Her eyebrows did a slight dip, but it would have to suffice.

She gave a prodding look. “I still can’t believe you’re going to that thing,” she said, as neutral as she could.

Their gazes met briefly. Weiss had to turn away, at some unremarkable piece of wall behind Ruby, only half-listening to Nora’s commentary. Sure, the issues in Atlas were important. Sure, Nora hadn’t done anything to warrant a cold shoulder. But Weiss couldn’t bring herself to engage in them the same way.

She sighed. “But a victory party?”

Ruby passed her by, throwing her arms up and shrugging her shoulders , surely in an attempt to seem casual. So casual really, that it was almost to the point of indifference. It stung a little, even knowing the truth.

“Invite’s still open if you want in. Penny’s gonna be working security.”

The younger girl flashed a warm grin. It wasn’t a real offer, Weiss knew, but Ruby meant it to hold its own brand of comfort, all the same.

For a few crunched seconds, Weiss thought about everything, all over again. The politics, the fear, and the guilt all ran their course through her mind. She wondered if it’d be right of her to give in – to shove her fears off to the side if it meant more time for a date. 

A raucous fit of laughter tore her attention away. She watched in what could only be described as cringe as Yang and Blake worked their moves. Their light-hearted, awful dance moves.

Then, yet another voice rang from the doorway. “Hey, Oscar and I are hitting the movies, if anyone wants-”

“Yep!” she immediately committed, with little thought this time. Surely, a movie theater would be a far cry from the politically charged warehouse. A year ago, she might have rather died than accompany Jaune to a theater. But today she really needed an out. Both from the terrible dance-flirting and from Ruby’s excursion. 

“Oh, OK.” Jaune muttered.

Weiss went straight for the door with a hurried pace, not wanting to delay.

She cleared out a little faster when she heard Nora start to ask about the dance club. She sped down the hall towards the floor’s elevator.

“Do we know what movie we’re seeing, you too?”

Jaune and Oscar quickly waved goodbyes to the others, and jogged to catch up.

“Oscar and I were thinking of seeing the new Bark Wallberg movie, actually. I hear it’s got plenty of-”

“Weiss!” a shout interrupted from behind.

Their attention shot backward, and they saw a red blur in motion, leaving a characteristic stream of petals in its wake.

Ruby surged after them, running up to her partner and tightly linking their fingers.

Ruby eyed their friends, who had also stopped at the alarm. “Sorry, guys. Could you just give us a minute, really quick?”

“I’ll catch up with you, we just need a moment,” Weiss assured.

Nodding in understanding, Jaune ushered Oscar out of sight towards an elevator. Thus, Weiss and Ruby stood alone in the cold corridor.

“I’m sorry. I know, you said it’s fine, but we’re still good to go out later, right?”

Weiss squeezed, admittedly glad that Ruby felt the need to check. For all the disappointment, they both still wanted this. Even if it wasn’t the perfect plan, having a date at all could still be a saving grace tonight.

“Of course.” She pecked her on the forehead. “I can text you when the movie ends. You just call me when you’re ready to leave the rally, alright?”

Ruby quickly nodded, gratefully. “OK, yeah. That’ll work great. I’ll see you later, Weiss”

Giving their best smiles, they exchanged a last set of pecks on the cheeks. They came apart, and Weiss hurried to catch up with the boys, keeping a close hold on the renewed, fledgling hope in her heart.


	8. Chapter 6, Part II: A Night gone Astray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to be an easy night. It wasn't supposed to set the kingdom on fire. 
> 
> But maybe, if they're lucky, they can still salvage a good thing.

Weiss really didn’t want to believe what she’d heard.

They’d been settled into their seats at the theater when the news broke for the entire kingdom.

On the way in, she’d been made to endure every cheesy romcom poster, package deal, and sales pitch for some sugar-filled concoction, and she’d done it with grace. Well, as much grace as one manage in her position.

However, Jaune had filed through the entrance with that same uncomfortable demeanor in every step. He turned away from the media, and made the noticeable effort not to linger near affectionate couples. Maybe he knew how it felt? Stupid thought, actually – of course he knew.

They both kept their heads down as they made their way through the theater’s main foyer, an aching silence brewing. If it weren’t for Oscar, they might have spent the entire time miserable.

“You guys are looking down,” he’d commented. Getting only their silence in return, he glanced around at the posters and the billboards, and a knowing look formed on his face. “Oh, right.”

Jaune sighed. “I’m sorry, Oscar. I guess I just wasn’t expecting all of… _this_.”

“No, it’s ok,” Weiss tried to reassure. “Neither was I, honestly.”

Oscar hummed in thought as he perused the menu at the distant snack bar.

“You know, every Valentine’s Day, whenever my aunt started feeling down, she made herself feel better with ice cream and moonshine.”

“…”

“I don’t think they have moonshine here, but if you guys are into pinot grigio, then maybe…?”

Weiss took that idea and promptly tossed it out the nearest window. Then she burned it. “ _Nobody_ is getting inebriated tonight, the Atlesian drinking age notwithstanding.”

“Alright, alright,” – Oscar chuckled lightly, and put his arms up in surrender – “I was kidding, anyway.”

“About your aunt?” Jaune asked.

“Oh, no, I was serious about my aunt. I was kidding about the wine.”

Weiss cringed, while Jaune got their tickets cleared with the usher, and they moved on through the theater’s dark corridors.

“On the bright side, you guys won’t have to worry about all that for the next few hours. The reviews say this is a hundred and thirty minutes of dumb comedy. Classic Bark Wallberg.”

“I didn’t know you were an afficionado of the cinema.” She’d never really thought to ask about any of Oscar’s hobbies, but film certainly wasn’t the top suspect.

“Eh. When you live on a farm out in the middle of nowhere, seeing a new movie is a special occasion.”

And maybe she should have treated it like a special occasion. Even though it wasn’t what she’d had in mind for a day off, maybe she should have appreciated it more. Because just as the film’s first act was coming to a close, the atmosphere transformed.

The crude humor was brought to a screeching halt, and gave rise to thundering booms in the distance. The screen defaulted to a warning sign, and the entire cinematic environment deconstructed as blaring red sirens sounded, and a stern voice could be heard.

_“Alert. Incoming Grimm attack.”_

Before the voice had even finished issuing the alert, pandemonium ensued. The theater itself could have easily been confining dozens of panicking voices as people began shouting and running for the exits.

_“Threat level: Six.”_

They’d wordlessly gotten up from their places and rushed outside. The chaos was palpable.

Civilians rushed in droves through Mantle’s streets, hurtling around one another to keep moving. The screams were coming from all directions, but they were increasingly moving away from the city center.

A man rushed past them with a primal urgency, his clothes splattered with blood. His gaze went straight through them, unfocused.

And he wasn’t alone. A small crowd trailed him, all rushing the same direction.

Jaune was the first to say what at the front of their minds.

“Guys, they’re not running away from the wall. The theater borders the Warehouse District on that side!”

Maybe it was a small bit of paranoia, or call it a keen intuition, but once they’d fixated on the Warehouse District, Weiss could only think of one thing.

They stepped out in the middle of the road and stopped a civilian in their tracks. The startled man took a swing at Jaune, who dodged it easily.

“Hey, it’s ok; I’m a huntsman.” He flashed his license. “But you’re only getting closer to the wall.” The point was accentuated by the airship soaring overhead, toward the city limits. “What are you running from?”

The man barely calmed down enough to spout out his half-baked response.

“I-I, I gotta go. The warehouse. T-they died. They’re dead! Oh god, that poor girl.”

Weiss felt a chill creep down her spine. “A girl? What girl? What happened?”

“T-the rally,” he clamored. “They attacked the rally! A massacre!”

Their attention was ripped away from him by the loud roars of a pride of manticores, hovering just above them. They drew their weapons, and Weiss primed Myrtenaster to fire.

“We’re all gonna die!” a woman behind them shouted.

Jaune redirected the growing crowd, and barked an order at them. “Everyone, duck for cover! Make your way for a shelter, get into a building, or find something to hide under. Just get out of the open!

And so, they found themselves uprooted from the peace, fighting through the city like a warzone.

Once they dispatched the initial group, Weiss turned straight for city center. Her blood still felt cool, but she forced her way forward, through hostile streets and skies with a laser focus.

She wrung her semblance for every last bit of speed. Despite the fact that speed was never her specialty, the glyphs propelled them faster and farther than she’d ever cared to attempt, with such a velocity that Ruby and Harriet would both be given a run for their money.

And yet, it felt painfully slow.

As she lept, she could hear the calls coming from behind. Callouts of approaching grimm, and requests to ease up the slightest bit, all fell on deaf ears.

When the venue fully came into view, it looked like hell had materialized on Remnant, and made the warehouse its nexus. All around, drones and grimm were locked in skirmishes, and the civilians unlucky enough to have been trapped in the area ran in every which direction. Those left alive, anyway.

When she saw the inside, her face fell. Bodies littered the floor leading up to the stage, sitting in pools of blood. The man was right; it had been a massacre.

She crept through the room from body to body, hoping with all hope that she wouldn’t turn over a face she recognized. None of them had Ruby’s iconic red flare, but the fact did little to sooth her.

Her breathing grew quick and hard the longer she turned over static faces. What if the unthinkable _had_ happened? What if one of her worst nightmares was real, and in the flesh? In the torn, bloodied flesh?

A frigid despair rushed through her veins, faced with the prospect of having lost her chance. To someday say, ‘I love you’. To have a genuine kiss. To truly relish in each other’s company.

All of it, routed and snuffed out before it had had the chance to live.

All of it because she’d asked that they wait. Had she learned nothing from Haven? From Brunswick?

A freezing, disconcerting force gripped her heart, and she clutched at it in agony. She tried to will it away, but it fought, like a cancer.

Standing there amongst the bodies, even with the alarms nearby, the air was deathly silent. The only sound to register was the beating of her accursed heart, and it boomed inside her chest.

Without Ruby, what point would there be? Of all the possible times for the universe to deliver them a striking blow, it had decided on a night so initially full of potential and whimsy, that it seemed hell-bent on breaking her down. And for what? So that Salem’s forces would have an easier time of it?

Her fists clenched, and her own nails dug into her skin with abandon.

As her mind began to lead itself astray down a darker road, Weiss felt a light grasp on her shoulder, accompanied by a lowly audible voice.

“Weiss,” the voice muttered, “they’re not here.” She blinked rapidly to flush away fledgling tears. She looked up and realized the voice was just Jaune.

“They’re probably fine, but right now-” Jaune gestured to the sirens still blaring “-they need our help. We have to make it so that nobody else dies tonight.”

Nobody else? Weiss did a double take at him. She gripped Myrtenaster in a death clutch, and gathered enough will to nod.

That was all they needed. The three of them made their way outside with weapons drawn, and went back to work.

All the while, Weiss felt the icy chill in her blood, until she went numb.

* * *

Weiss’s gaze went straight out the window at nothing in particular. Whatever went down in that warehouse had set the kingdom on fire all over again. The grimm had come wave-after-wave, each more tenacious than the last.

More than once, she’d wondered if they were gunning for her, specifically. She wouldn’t blame them in the least. As she cut down one creature after another, the cold in her blood lingered.

If her years of feigning indifference in the face of high society had done her any favors, it was that she could fight as if nothing were wrong. But on the inside, there was a creeping fear that was conflicting with her fine motor function.

For the umpteenth time in her life, she wondered if the grimm could tell the difference between negativities. All over Mantle, there had been panic and fear. It was chaotic, and foreboding.

Then, could they see exactly how she felt? Did she stand out at all? Or did she fit right in?

Because it felt like she could put the entire city to shame, and stand out like a lonely beacon.

The feeling stuck as they soared over Atlas’s skies, bruised, and tired. Yet, the spent energy went mostly ignored as Weiss stared out the window. Physically, she should have been feeling a heavy weight on each muscle. Internally, she continued to battle a numbness more insidious than any monster.

Their airship touched down on a familiar landing pad, and they emptied out. Weiss kept her eyes to the ground.

The breeze rushed through her hair and brought with it a range of feelings. It tingled on the outside, and clashed against the warmth brought by the taxing hours of fight-or-flight.

With a narrow state of mind, she tuned out of her surroundings, and her body acted on instinct, aimlessly marching forward at a snail’s pace.

The academy could have been on fire, and she might not have noticed. The Atlesian air passed her by with a similar indifference, content to let her wallow.

But her wallowing was crudely interrupted when a red blur struck her with all the force of a moving car. She stumbled backward a few steps before summoning a glyph to counter-balance, barely avoiding being knocked off her feet.

Ruby’s arms went around Weiss’s neck, and tightened until Weiss was firmly locked into position.

The younger girl was holding back sobs and gasps, and sniffled hard.

“W-Weiss…”

As much as Weiss’s heart had been aching the entire evening, you would expect her to have been filled with relief, or aghast at seeing the object of her affections alive. Instead, as she held her, she didn’t know if Ruby’s shaking was comforting as a sign of life, or heart-breaking in its own right.

All she knew was that her partner was in pain. Alive, but in pain. And pain never looked so out of place.

She wrapped her arms around Ruby, and returned the embrace with as much feeling as she could muster. Neither one noticed nor cared when their friends made their way inside after several minutes, leaving them to their devices.

She rubbed up and down Ruby’s back, silently relishing in her presence. If it was real, she thought, then maybe the universe hadn’t quite damned them yet.

When she spoke, it was quiet, their voices hushed against gusts of wind. 

“You can’t imagine how worried I was.” She blinked, and let out a sigh that had been in the making all evening. “You’re capable of taking care of yourself, of course, but when we heard about the massacre…”

She gulped.

“And then, the bodies.”

Right then, Ruby’s arms tightened around Weiss even more.

Herr voice came out in hushed half-sobs. “I couldn’t stop it, Weiss. Before I realized what was happening, it was too late.”

Weiss tried to reciprocate the increasing pressure on her airway. “It’s OK, Ruby. We stopped the grimm. And, we’re still here, alive. Those are the important parts.”

“A-and then, even after the fighting was over, people wanted to deactivate Penny! On the spot!” Ruby kept going. “Penny was right where they wanted her, again.”

Weiss grimaced. “I understand, and I’m sorry. But I can’t imagine the general is going to like that.”

“They blame her! They think she killed-” Ruby stopped mid-sentence and took in deep breaths. Weiss felt the girl’s muscles start to relax in her arms, and did her best to keep her standing.

“I’ve got you.” Ruby’s head rested on her shoulder, and she started brushing through the younger girl’s hair.

It would have been a supremely cute moment, if they hadn’t just spent the better part of their night off trying to keep the city from being razed.

Still, she couldn’t help but grin. “Alright, fearless leader. Let’s get some rest.”

Just as Weiss tried to move them toward the entrance, Ruby dragged her feet, and picked her head up. She grabbed Weiss’s shoulders with a frown.

“Wait,” she whined, “we can’t. Not yet.”

Weiss raised a brow.

“Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

“You know.”

And indeed, Weiss did know.

“We’ve all been through a lot tonight, Ruby. It’s OK if you don’t-”

“No!” she shouted quickly. She held her mouth shut for a second, before apologizing. “I’m sorry, but no. Weiss, I wanted this. I wanted us to finally do something. Alone, but together. Didn’t you?”

Weiss huffed, as if her very honor had just been insulted.

“Of course, I did! I had contingencies for my contingencies for our night out, but for whatever reason, none of them accounted for this!”

She shook her head roughly. “After the saber attack our first day here, I should have known better.”

Ruby brought their hands together, dragging her touch along Weiss’s arms. “Well, there’s no reason we can’t do something now! Come on, let’s find somewhere we can talk.”

“Ruby,” she voiced, concerned, “you know as well as I, we’ll both be dead-tired in the morning.”

“Honestly, Weiss? I don’t care right now. We’ve waited too long; not anymore.”

She pulled her along toward the edge of the academy, standing over the city.

“If you can still use your semblance, I’m sure we can go somewhere close-by. Did you have something in mind?”

Seeing her determination, Weiss acquiesced, and mentally went back over the list of places she’d compiled in her initial planning. One of them stuck out to her more than the others.

She nodded. “I think I had a great place in mind, actually. As long as you’re certain.”

Ruby squeezed her hand.

“More than anything.”

They lept off the platform and situated atop the apparated queen lancer, embracing all the way. The pair traversed the night sky, upwards toward a particularly tall tower even among the skyscrapers.

* * *

They made their way through an empty foyer, hands still joined. With all the memories connected to the transmit system, walking through the atrium of an empty tower almost felt ghostly. Even the city in the sky was cut off from sharing its anguish with the world, as many of the terminals had gone close to a year without use.

But these were thoughts Weiss tried not to dwell on. Shoving them away, she led them into an elevator, and watched as Ruby reacted to the finer architecture.

Even after everything, it was cute, the way she always took in new things. Some part of this was painfully familiar to the both of them, yes, but to her it must’ve also been excitingly new.

She punched in a string of numbers, and the elevator soared upward into the CTT’s central comms room.

“It’s no dust emporium, but I remember things from before.” She smiled at Ruby admirably. “You thought the towers were so cool.”

After getting out, they took a step toward the far wall, approaching a set of grand windows.

“Even if you did ditch me at the tower to hang out with Penny.”

Ruby gave a playful growl, and moved to pinch Weiss in her side to no avail.

“I’m joking!” Weiss giggled. “I know you were just worried!”

Ruby pretended to pout as they looked out over the upper tier of Atlas. They’d been here for weeks now, and seen a fair few skylines, but this was probably the best view in all the kingdom. It dwarfed the perspective you’d get from any other window or rooftop below.

But, for all its splendor, both their true foci were on each other. They shared a small laugh, and took in the sight. For a while they just stood there in a calming silence, holding onto each other loosely. A far cry from what either had envisioned, but a welcome contrast to a night of life-or-death combat.

“I’m really sorry,” Weiss heard at some point.

She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re apologizing for.”

Ruby squeezed a little tighter.

“As soon as we got there, I knew I should’ve just gone to the movies with you.” Her lips curved into a wistful smile.

“It’s not your fault, Ruby. I can understand why you wanted to go.” She ran her fingers along the younger girl’s palm. “Besides, the cinema wasn’t at the top of my list, anyway.”

“You actually had a list?” she asked, amused.

“You better believe it. I had contingencies.” She nodded towards what was visible of Mantle in the distance. “Nothing for that, though. Although in retrospect, I really should have.”

“Hmph. Well, I’m still sorry we didn’t get to do any of it. I really wanted to do something with you, alone. Even if it wasn’t until after the party.”

“I know. I wanted it, too. I looked forward to it, all the way up to the sounding of the alarms.”

Weiss turned her body completely, and brought them face-to face.

“I know this isn’t much of a date. But I hope you know that I want to try this with you. Poor timing, and all.” She stroked Ruby’s cheek. “I’ve learned for the last time that we don’t have time to waste.”

Ruby brought them together in another hug.

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“What do you think?”

“Say it.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Do itttt!”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “And people say I have a flare for the dramatic.”

She leaned back so that their eyes met. For all the jest, she made the words sound nothing less than sincere.

“Ruby, I _really_ like you. Probably more than you understand, and far more than I ever expected.” She too smiled. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

One might have thought Weiss had just professed her deepest love and proposed marriage, from the width of the smile on Ruby’s face. She latched on with as much strength as she could find, and let out a silent squeal.

“This is happening!”

Weiss chuckled. “Yes, we’ve finally managed to organize a hastily assembled, on-the-fly outing for ourselves.” She cupped Ruby’s face. “And it’s still one of the best things to happen since we’ve been here.”

The leaned forward in a first kiss that was long-awaited.

Time could very well have stopped when their lips met, but the flutters on the inside only intensified. Weiss’s heart pounded again inside her chest, and everything got warmer as the spectacle was forgotten. She could only focus on how soft Ruby felt against her mouth, and how addictively she invaded her senses. Her scent, the warmth of her skin under the choker, the curve of her waist, and the alluring, dangerous beauty of her shorter hair – all of it Ruby, and all of it so intoxicating.

She couldn’t say for certain that she hadn’t dreamt this scene to life, but there was raw emotion in the way Ruby’s fingers curled around her own. Weiss committed to keeping her eyes half-open, sneaking an enamored peek when she heard a happy moan. It was also a way of making sure it wasn’t all a product of her imagination.

Maybe the universe was finally starting to root for them, or maybe Weiss’s wanting mind had created the perfect fantasy, but in that moment every breath smelled like roses. For one of the few times in her life, Weiss wasn’t thinking ahead to the future. If anything, the warm feeling of Ruby, although potent, was grounding. Instead of agonizing, or contemplating what was to come, she wrapped her arms around Ruby’s frame, and enjoyed the closeness. They took it for every possible bit of private bliss.

When they eventually pulled apart, Weiss had trouble finding words. As she was coming down from the high, Ruby whispered into her ear.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”

She nodded. “I know the feeling.”

They nuzzled.

“I like you, Ruby.”

“I like you too, Weiss.”

It was already late into the night by that point. When they got back to the dorm and got to sleep, they’d probably end up crashing in Weiss’s bed, cuddled up. And they’d be exhausted in the morning. But what they’d finally found was worth a bit of lost sleep and then some.


	9. Chapter 8: Good Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dinner party is going to be unpleasant. And it's going to stir up some baggage Weiss would really rather have left behind. But however dreary the outlook, she's not without well-wishes.

This is exactly what she’d wanted to avoid.

When they told her they’d be going to Atlas, Weiss had accepted it begrudgingly. She’d gritted her teeth, taken a deep breath, and said OK when it was final.

Ever since then, every time she’d been made to face her past, she’d gotten by with help. Her friends, true to their word, had done their best to see her through it.

Blake and Yang were there at the dust mine, on guard and ready to lend their support in a time of need. 

Nora and Jaune wasted no time cracking jokes and quips at her father’s expense, while Ren nodded in solidarity.

Even Qrow happily joined in on the depreciation of everything that was Jacques Schnee, offering up short stories and scandalous rumors.

But Ruby, more than anyone, had made a promise. She’d promised that they wouldn’t leave her side for a second.

When she made the promise, her optimistic smile had done its job. In the moment, Weiss had felt warmed on the inside, as if a small flame had taken up residence in her chest.

That warmth left an impression, and reared its comforting head whenever they shared a moment from that point on. At Brunswick. On a cool night at the Cotta-Arc household.

It became even stronger after their conversation in the skies over Mantle.

And then they’d finally had their date. A moment they’d both looked forward to for weeks. It was far from what they’d envisioned, but Weiss wouldn’t trade their first kiss for anything.

It was still so new, but there was barely any time to let it simmer. Instead, they were on their way to the Schnee manor, of all places. Her father had invited them to ‘dinner’.

More than anything, this is what she’d wanted to avoid.

She stared out the window as a few trees passed them by and the homestead came into view. A whole host of memories flooded in and caused her to shiver quietly, bringing a subtle cold.

Regardless of promises or relationships or bravado, she was also reminded of the loneliness it brought. This place, for all its splendor, left her to toil alone. And although she had the utmost faith in her new girlfriend, and in her new family, that would remain true for the night.

This mission would be a personal one. And she would be made to face it alone.

She was brought out of her thoughts by a warm hand in hers. Ruby squeezed gently. Weiss took a breath, and squeezed back.

They sat together in the back row of the car, out of sight of Blake and Yang in the second row, and Qrow up front.

They’d abused this blessing, exchanging nuzzles, small kisses, and handholds the entire ride. Now, with their destination in sight, she knew that the ride could never have been long enough.

“I’m sorry,” she heard Ruby whisper.

She turned away from the window, and saw sad, silver eyes. She leaned her head back to rest on the interior, and whispered back.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

“But there is.”

Ruby gripped Weiss’s hand with both of her own.

“I… promised I wouldn’t leave your side. But this…” she trails. “I’m sorry I won’t be there, for this.” She nodded to the ever-nearing manor. At any moment, they’d be at the doorstep.

Despite the cool anxiety within her, Weiss found the strength to smile.

“It’s OK.” She gives a last-minute nuzzle. “This is the only way. And it doesn’t change how I think of you. Wish me luck?”

Ruby returned the smile, and leaned in, giving Weiss a soft, quick peck on the lips.

“Good luck. We’ll be right in the foyer; in case you need us.”

Weiss nodded as she saw the front entrance in her peripheral. The time had come.

* * *

Later, after Whitley's unfortunate accident, Weiss savored the sound of Ruby's laughter as she ascended the staircase into the belly of her beast. 


	10. Chapter 9: Time to Do Our Jobs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby makes an observation as they're prepping for another night of fighting.

Things were coming to a head in Atlas.

Ruby fought to keep her balance as Weiss’s glyphs disappeared from under them. For what felt like the hundredth time, she thanked her lucky stars for Weiss’s semblance.

“I don’t think we’re staying airborne!” Marrow warned. He was right. She could feel the airship beginning to lose its balance after losing a wing.

“It’s time to go!”

“You have your team assignments!”

Ruby watched as her friends jumped ship one-by-one. When it was Weiss’s turn, she had to fight off a dumb grin.

In her dive, Weiss posed with her weapon, twisting in a circle as her body flew out into the open air. It was just the sort of grace you’d expect from her. And somehow, it was so cute to see!

A sudden breaking of glass forced her attention onto the cockpit, where she and Harriett were going to improvise their landing strategy.

“Try to keep up, kid.”

At that, Ruby did smile with pride. Right now, they _all_ had jobs to do. 


	11. Chapter 11: A Failed Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During their faceoff against Salem, Weiss recognizes an important opportunity, and misses it.

Believe it or not, there were times Weiss felt like she could understand Salem, even if the instances were few and far between.

The first time she’d seen Salem at the Battle for Haven, it was monstrous. After everything they’d heard from Raven, and Ozpin, and Qrow, there was this picture in the back of everyone’s minds about what she looked like, and about how far she would go.

“She’s big on fear and hopelessness. Won’t hesitate to take whatever drives you, and tear it down before your very eyes,” Qrow had said. To say that her visage was frightening didn’t really do it justice.

But then, when Jinn showed them her vision, parts of it resonated with Weiss; some of it was all too relatable. Held prisoner by her father. Separated from her partner. Walking a lonesome road.

Were it not for the murder and mayhem, she’d almost call the two of them alike.

In the moment, all of that was being thrown out the window.

“The brave Huntsmen and Huntresses bested Arthur Watts. Congratulations.”

It was just like that night at Haven. Salem’s presence erupted and swirled, and she towered over them.

Weiss instinctively retracted. There had been times in her life when she’d been made to feel small, but this was far more real.

“We stopped Tyrian, too.” Her eyes went to Ruby. “And we’ll stop Cinder, and anyone else you try to send here.”

Weiss would have liked to think she had some support to offer, standing there with her team, but really, she was drawing blank. Even with Ruby’s boundless bravery, it was hard to think of anything other than the enormous gravity of Salem’s presence.

She could only provide silent encouragement as Salem pressed Ironwood. Then, their attention pivoted yet again.

“We’ve seen what you’re capable of. The lamp showed us.” There was that bravery again. “It showed us everything.”

Weiss thought back to the vision. It had armed them with the kind of knowledge that might drive others mad. But eventually, they’d been able to digest it.

Salem turned her attention straight to them, straight to Ruby. Some part of Weiss wanted to speak out alongside her – to really share in the defiance. The other part couldn’t produce the sound. Instead, she stood tall at her side, along with Blake and Yang, signaling her commitment.

“We’ve seen that you can’t be killed, but we’ve also seen you fail. We don’t have to kill you to stop you. And we _will_ stop you.”

There were few moments in which Weiss was prouder of her leader then she was right then. For a whole host of reasons, Ruby could exude resolve and strength in the face of danger. That’s how they’d gotten used to seeing her.

Which is why Salem’s response felt like a knife in their collective front.

“Your mother said those words to me.”

Her mother?

Hadn’t Summer Rose gone missing years ago?

Oh.

No…

Taken aback, Weiss’s hazarded a glance at her partner.

“My… mother?” Ruby’s eyes grew frighteningly wide, and her fingers started to tremble.

“She was wrong, too.”

Ruby brought her hands to her face, and cried out.

“Ah!”

Weiss’s heart begun to sink, and her mouth was agape as Ruby clutched at her head and choked back sobs, droplets of tears falling at her feet. She’d seen Ruby vulnerable before, but not like this. Not since Beacon.

Salem continued to stare Ruby down as the younger girl fell to her knees, starting to weep openly.

Weiss’s first instinct was to rush down to console her. But she couldn’t. She was frozen. Shell-shocked, even. Instead of comforting Ruby, she was relegated to the sideline yet again. Call it fear, or doubt, or stupefaction. As Salem’s image faded, it didn’t really matter. All the same, Weiss was filled with guilt when Yang and Blake knelt down, while she only stood and watched.


End file.
